Essential Foods You Should Always Have in the Freezer

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Cooked Beans

Cooked beans are an excellent source of protein and can stand in for meats or fish at a moment's notice in any of your meals. Whether you cook them from their original dried form or get the canned varieties, cooked beans can be stored in the freezer for six to eight months. Always drain the cooking broth and make sure they're fully cooled before freezing. Then they can be kept in sealed freezer-friendly containers or zip-top freezer bags. When ready to use, they can be cooked directly from frozen or thawed first. Try cooking them on a lower heat, however, to prevent the beans from splitting (this can happen when you cook beans twice).

Here are the best 100 recipes for beans of all kinds.